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 Previous Item - Discovering Your Roots, DVD set, by John Colletta
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The Old Pike: An illustrated narrative of the National Road |
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Carol Bell - Jan 10,2013
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Recently a friend loaned me a copy of the 1971 re-publication of the 1894 book by Thomas B. Searight. This new version of The Old Pike: An illustrated narrative of The National Road was edited by Joseph Morse and R. Duff Green. For those of you interested in the National Road, this book is chock-full of history and anecdotes and can help put your family's story into historical context. It has an Index with many names listed, including stagecoach drivers, stagecoach operators, tavern keepers, and wagoners. The book is available at the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling, WV.
Here are a few tidbits of interest:
Page 18
TURNPIKE
The National Road is not in a literal sense a turnpike. A turnpike, in the original meaning of the word, is a road upon which pikes were placed to turn travelers thereon through gates, to prevent them from evading the payment of toll. Pikes were not used, or needed on the National Road. It was always kept in good condition, and travelers thereon, as a rule, paid the required toll without complaining.
Page 70
PIKER
The Americanized term ''piker'' possibly came from ''shun-piker'' meaning a person who used back roads or farm roads to avoid payment of a toll.
Page 79
STOGIES and TOBIES
It appears that in the old days the drivers of the Conestoga wagons, so common years ago on our National Road, used to buy very cheap cigars. To meet this demand a small cigar manufacturer in Washington, Pennsylvania, whose name is lost to fame, started in to make a cheap ''roll-up'' for them at four for a cent. They became very popular with the drivers, and were at first called Conestoga cigars; since, by usage, corrupted into ''stogies'' and ''tobies.''
Page 120
BEING THERE WITH BELLS ON
Contrary to popular belief, a bell team of horses was the exception rather than the rule on the Old Pike. But should a bell team wagon break down, it became customary for a wagoner to relinquish his bells to the wagoner who helped him get rolling again. Consequently the expression ''being there with bells on'' signified arriving safely on time. A wagoner worked his team from three positions: riding, standing on lazy board or walking by front left wheel, keeping team to right side of road. Noting the wagoners' custom, Henry Ford perpetuated this practice by placing auto steering wheel on the left.
~Carol
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Anna Brinkmeier - Jan 23,2013
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Very interesting!
Thanks, Carol. I'm gonna get a look at this book. I've lived the majority of my life a couple hundred feet from the National Rd.
Anna
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